Tracing device



M. w. BANKS TRACING DEVICE' Sept. 24, 1963 2 Shee ts-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 3, 1961 mm T N 3 V mw E L R E M B a P v W F w C 9 IQ ATTORNEYS Sept. 24, 1963 M. w. BANKS 3, 2

TRACING DEVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 25 INVEN TOR. MERLE W. BANKS ATTORNEYS United States Patent This invention relates to drawing stands in which a slanted, flat surface is presented to the user; especially this invention relates to tracing devices in which the drawing surface is translucent and a light source is placed heneath it to facilitate tracing a second drawing from underlying guide materials. It is an object of this invention to provide a drawing stand of simple yet durable construction, and one which may be cheaply manufactured by mass production methods. It is another object of this invention to provide safe, convenient drawing stands having adequate ventilation. It is also an object to improve over previous tracing devices by the addition of features of convenience, one such being the provision of a tracing surface without obstructions.

Other and further objects are those inherent in the invention herein illustrated, described and claimed, and will be apparent as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

The invention is illustrated with reference to the drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the drawing stand of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevational view along the lines and in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a detail of the means of attaching the drawing surface to the stand taken along the lines and in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 corresponds to FIGURE 3 and is an exploded view of the detail shown in FIGURE 3, the parts being shown prior to attachment;

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view taken from the lowest slanted end of the stand;

IGURE 6 is a side elevational view of the stand;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the stand taken from the opposite side of that shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a bottom plan view of the stand;

FIGURE 9 is an elevational view taken from the highest slanted end of the stand.

Throughout the drawings, corresponding numerals refer to the same parts.

The drawing stand has three basic structural parts: a frame generally designated 19, a drawing panel generally designated 11 which is inserted and held in the frame member, and a back, light-carrying panel assembly generally designated 12. A lamp 14, socket 15, and associated cord 16, are part of the panel assembly 12.

The frame preferably is constructed as a unitary device and can be made of opaque or substantially opaque plastic or metal. The frame has side portions designated 18 and 19, and front portion 21 and rear portion 20. For purposes of design as well as strength, the side, front and rear portions are not wholly planar. Instead, exterior continuous rib 18A on side 18 and 19A on side 1% extend from front to back and blend into the rear portion 26. The ribs 18A and 19A are offset outwardly with respect "ice to portions 18B and 19B respectively and leave a ledge 18C on side 18 and on side 19. This configuration adds strength to the sidewall. At the rear, portion 22 is composed of two planar segments 22A and 22B which meet at the intersection line 24 running parallel with the base. This construction adds strength to the rear Wall. The ribs 18A and 19A of the side portions increase in depth as they approach the rear of the frame. To further increase the slant of the drawing surface, the frame has depending legs '25 formed at the rear of the side portions and from the lower part of the rear portion. The frame rests on bosses 27 at the four corners.

The top 26 of the frame has a recess 28 extending transversely at the upper end thereof for holding various drawing instruments. In addition, the top 2.6 of the stand has an opening 29, preferably rectangular, defined by corners 29A, 29B, 29C and 29D. This opening is framed with a downwardly extending flange 30 of uniform downward dimension, and the flange terminates with a small inwardly extending foot-flange 32. Immediately adjacent this foot-flange, at several places around the flange 3t}, there are provided locking holes 3-1. This construction is shown in FIGURES 1-4.

The drawing panel 11 is translucent plastic and is shaped so as to have a top surface 11A which is received with minimum clearance into the opening 29 as defined by flange 30 around said opening. The drawing panel 11 is formed as a single molding from translucent plastic but can, if desired, be made of a glass panel 11A with a suitable framing of other materials. The top 11A has the same rectangular shape as the opening 29 and from this top there are depending side flanges 34, front flange 35, and rear flange 36, all of which fit snug against the inner face of flange 30* around the recess 29. These flanges 34, 35 and 36 which make the drawing panel unit into the form of a shallow inverted pan, are preferably of the same depth as the flange 3%. Spring detents in the form of fingers 38 are formed in the side flanges 34 and cooperate with slots 3 1 to hold the drawing surface component 11 in place. An exemplary form of detent 38 as illustrated especially in FIGURE 2 is formed by making closely spaced parallel slots 39 in the side flanges 34. These slots are made either :by mechanical cutting slots after the molding is complete or can be made during the molding process. At the lower extremity of each finger there is formed an outwardly extending tab 4%. The width dimension of the drawing panel 11 including the tab 40 is slightly larger than that of the recess 29. Accordingly, when the drawing panel 11 is fitted into the recess, tab it) will be sprung inwardly and assumes the dotted line position of FIGURE 4. As the panel is pushed down the tab 413 will become aligned with the openings 31 and spring outwardly and lock in the opening 31. The spring force created by the fingers 38 seeking to maintain their normal unstressed condition holds the tabs 40 in the slots 31 and hence holds the panel 11 in the frame recess 29. Since the walls 34, 35 and 36 of the drawing panel 11 are of the same depth as those of the recess in the pre ferred embodiment, the whole top surface of the assembled drawing stand composed of surface 29 and 11A will be level and without ridges.

The back, light-carrying panel 12 is, in the illustrated enrbodirnent,formed of metal although it could be formed of plastic or any other suitable constnuction material. As illustrated, the panel 12 is formed from a single piece of metal having a rectangular central area and rectangular side areas at opposed ends of the central area. An X- shaped pattern 41 is pressed in the central area to add stiffness and the parallel sides of the central area are bent over as at 37 to increase rigidity and blunt these edges. The rectangular side areas are turned upwardly to provide flanges 42 and 43. The central area between the folds has the same length as the Width of the interior of the frame 10 between the two side portions 18A and 19A. Coaxial holes in the flanges 42 and 43 and side portions 18A and 19A of the frame receive rivets 45 which hold the panel 12 in the frame. The upper edges of the flanges 42 and 43 on the light panel 12 abut against the underside of ribs 180 and BC respectively of the frame molding. The light panel 12 as illustrated, occupies the rear underside portion of the frame '14 but there is space between it and rear wall 20 for the light cord and plenty of space in the front and rear for circulating air to move freely.

A light socket is held to the back panel by means of an L-shaped bracket. One arm of the L lies parallel to and contiguous with the back panel to which it is riveted at 46. The other arm of the L supports the socket by means of a screw 48. The space between the panel and the underside of the frame is sufficient to hold the socket 15 and lamp 14. The cord 16, associated with the plug 15, passes through the gap left between the light panel 12. and the rear Wall 20. The gap between the light panel 12 and rear wall portion is part of a superior design, since it permits the circulation of air through the lamp space. Ordinarily, the lamp is placed in a closed area where heat accumulates, creating an unsatisfactory condition.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments disclosed herein.

I claim:

1. A drawing device comprising a stand formed from a molded plastic frame having side and back and front Walls and a planar top, the side walls being ribbed to add rigidity, a rectangular opening in the planar top, said opening being defined by downwardly depending flanges of uniform depth around the opening, said flanges being provided along their lower edge with an inwardly extending ledge, a translucent plastic drawing panel inserted 'in the opening of the frame, said panel being in the form of a shallow inverted pan having depending side walls and a top planar drawing surface of the same dimensions as the rectangular opening, the side walls having the same depth as the depth of the flanges around the opening above the protruding ledge, spring fingers formed in the drawing panel side Walls, said fingers being formed by slots extending at least partially up the sidea; walls of the pan, each such spring finger having a protrudin g nib on the outer surface thereof, the flanges around the opening of the frame being provided with openings spaced so as to receive the protruding nibs therein when the drawing anel is in place in the opening with its top surface level with the top of the frame and with the lower edges of its walls resting on the ledges of the flanges, a back panel extending between and attached to the 0p-. posed sidewalls of the frame, said panel having a central portion equal in length to the distance between said side walls, and a width such that the side edges are substantially spaced from the front and back walls, upstanding parallel flanges at the longitudinal extremities of the central portion, and connector means attaching the parallel flanges to the inner surfaces of said side walls and light source means mounted on a light socket fixed to the panel between the back panel and the top side of the frame.

2. A drawing device comprising a drawing stand formed from molded plastic and having side and front and back walls that are reinforced to add rigidity and a planar top, the edges of the planar top extending inwardly from and being an integral continuation at right angles of the walls, the planar top and side, front and back walls forming an inverted pan-shaped enclosure, the whole top surface of the drawing stand presenting a single, smooth surface. free from any raised surfaces, a centrally positioned portion of the top being approximately rectangular in shape and light translucent, said portion being co-planar with the edges of the planar top, a light source mounted on the stand beneath the planar top on a panel attached to the side walls but substantially spaced from the front and back walls, said stand having depending legs at the junction of the side and front and back walls, the legs at the junction of the back and side walls having a longer length than the others for spacing the side Walls above the surface on which the drawing stand rests.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 24,927 Shelly Jan. 24, 1961 2,187,574 Nigra Jan. 16, 1940 2,834,155 Hanson Apr. 28, 1959 7 3,032,917 Shine May 8, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 808,328 Germany May 2, 1951 

1. A DRAWING DEVICE COMPRISING A STAND FORMED FROM A MOLDED PLASTIC FRAME HAVING SIDE AND BACK AND FRONT WALLS AND A PLANAR TOP, THE SIDE WALLS BEING RIBBED TO ADD RIGIDITY, A RECTANGULAR OPENING IN THE PLANAR TOP, SAID OPENING BEING DEFINED BY DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING FLANGES OF UNIFORM DEPTH AROUND THE OPENING, SAID FLANGES BEING PROVIDED ALONG THEIR LOWER EDGE WITH AN INWARDLY EXTENDING LEDGE, A TRANSLUCENT PLASTIC DRAWING PANEL INSERTED IN THE OPENING OF THE FRAME, SAID PANEL BEING IN THE FORM OF A SHALLOW INVERTED PAN HAVING DEPENDING SIDE WALLS AND A TOP PLANAR DRAWING SURFACE OF THE SAME DIMENSIONS AS THE RECTANGULAR OPENING, THE SIDE WALLS HAVING THE SAME DEPTH AS THE DEPTH OF THE FLANGES AROUND THE OPENING ABOVE THE PROTRUDING LEDGE, SPRING FINGERS FORMED IN THE DRAWING PANEL SIDE WALLS, SAID FINGERS BEING FORMED BY SLOTS EXTENDING AT LEAST PARTIALLY UP THE SIDEWALLS OF THE PAN, EACH SUCH SPRING FINGER HAVING A PROTRUDING NIB ON THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF, THE FLANGES AROUND THE OPENING OF THE FRAME BEING PROVIDED WITH OPENINGS SPACED SO AS TO RECEIVE THE PROTRUDING NIBS THEREIN WHEN THE DRAWING PANEL IS IN PLACE IN THE OPENING WITH ITS TOP SURFACE LEVEL WITH THE TOP OF THE FRAME AND WITH THE LOWER EDGES OF ITS WALLS RESTING ON THE LEDGES OF THE FLANGES, A BACK PANEL EXTENDING BETWEEN AND ATTACHED TO THE OPPOSED SIDEWALLS OF THE FRAME, SAID PANEL HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION EQUAL IN LENGTH TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID SIDE WALLS, AND A WIDTH SUCH THAT THE SIDE EDGES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY SPACED FROM THE FRONT AND BACK WALLS, UPSTANDING PARALLEL FLANGES AT THE LONGITUDINAL EXTREMITIES OF THE CENTRAL PORTION, AND CONNECTOR MEANS ATTACHING THE PARALLEL FLANGES TO THE INNER SURFACES OF SAID SIDE WALLS AND LIGHT SOURCE MEANS MOUNTED ON A LIGHT SOCKET FIXED TO THE PANEL BETWEEN THE BACK PANEL AND THE TOP SIDE OF THE FRAME. 